THE IMPORTANCE OF BANGKOK

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 295, 15 December 1941, Page 4

THE IMPORTANCE OF BANGKOK

j HE importance of the. Japanese occupation of Bangkok liis not in the fact that it is the capital of Thailand, but that it is the centre of the transportation system of the entire country. 1 he railway system centres upon the capital, one line- running south along the peninsula, sending out branch lines to either coast; two lilies run eastward to the border of Indo-China, while another line follows the Ninapo Rivir course to Chienginai in the north. This railway system will be very useful to transpo.l troops ami munitions and supplies from Bangkok down tl. peninsula to support the attack against Malaya and also to establish aerodromes in the north of Thailand, where they will have but a short flight to attack Hit port of Rangoon, in Burma, and the railway and river traffic between that port and Mandalay, and from thenee north to the Burma Road and Chungking, in China. It must be a cardinal objective ot' Japanese strati g\ to elose the Burma Road, or to reduce ils efficiency if closing is not possible. In this endeavour the possession of Bangkok is an i ssential first step. The British decision to regard Thailand as a country which is in enemy occupation, implies that the railways of Thailand will Ik- attacked by British aeroplanes. This can easily be aecomplisheil by bombers operating from Singapore in the south and by other like machines operating from airfields in Burma in the north.